The LCS is set for a transformative change in 2025 as Riot Games merges the league with the LLA and CBLOL to establish the League of Americas. Here’s what we know about the upcoming league, including its format and participating teams.
On June 11, 2024, Riot unveiled significant modifications to the LoL esports scene, which include a new international event called Fearless Draft, a multi-regional league system, and guest team slots.
The Americas league will adopt a structure akin to Valorant’s league system, featuring teams from Brazil and Latin America competing alongside North American teams. The new league format will also follow a three-split structure.
In 2025, the Americas league will consist of only 12 teams, resulting in several franchises across the LCS, CBLOL, and LLA being cut.
Teams in the League of Americas
The 2024 Summer Finals marked the last LCS event.
Riot Games has not yet confirmed the teams that will participate in the League of Americas for the 2025 season; these announcements are expected after the 2024 League of Legends World Championship.
Nonetheless, reports indicate that NRG Esports and Immortals from the LCS will not transition to the new league. This leaves 100 Thieves, Cloud9, Dignitas, FlyQuest, Shopify Rebellion, and Team Liquid as potential candidates, although nothing is finalized.
The new league will consist of two conferences, each featuring six teams. One conference will compete in Los Angeles, while the other will be based in São Paulo. At present, the specific CBLOL or LLA teams excluded from each conference remain unknown.
League of Americas Format
The two conferences—North and South—will operate with a uniform format and calendar within their respective home locations. Teams will compete in cross-conference play twice a year to secure seeds for major events.
The first split will commence the year with a major in-conference tournament, where the top two teams from each conference will face off, likely vying for a spot in an international event.
The second split will adopt a “traditional format,” presumably featuring round-robin league matches. The highest-ranking team from each conference will earn a place at MSI, while cross-conference play will be integrated into this split.
The final split will employ “aggressive formats” with series play, meaning best-of-three matches. The leading teams from each conference will compete in a LAN event named the Regional Championship for a chance at a Worlds berth.
Additional Worlds slots will be allocated to the top-performing teams from both the North and South based on league performance.
Americas Tier 2 and Guest Team Slots
Riot Games has also announced updates to the Tier 2 ecosystem and the criteria for teams aspiring to secure a guest slot in the League of Americas.
Each conference will host a promotion tournament involving the top two teams from two Tier 2 leagues. The North conference tournament will feature teams from NACL and the new Liga Regional Norte league, while the South tournament will involve teams from CBLOL Academy and the new Liga Regional Sur.
League of Americas promotion tournament bracket.
The League of Americas promotion tournament will adopt a double elimination format, allowing the previous season’s guest team to compete for a chance to remain in the league with a preferential seed.
This article will continue to be updated with new information regarding the multi-regional league following the conclusion of the 2024 Worlds Championship.
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